By double clicking the application icon on the Windows desktop (or selecting the application option from the All Programs menu) you open the program to the Navigation toolbar. The Navigation toolbar is used to get from one functional area of the application to another.

If not already expanded, click the 'All Forms' bar to expand the Navigation toolbar or click the 'Required Data' bar on the Navigation toolbar.

Press the 'Company Profile' button to open the form.

The Company Profile

The first company record is already created so you can begin by entering data into the text boxes. For additional companies you will need to press the New button on the Standard toolbar to create new company records.

Standard Toolbar

Before going on it is important to become familiar with the Standard toolbar. It looks very much like the standard toolbars found in most MS Windows applications. If it is docked at the top of the screen it fits in with other toolbars and looks like this:

You may prefer to leave it at the top of the form, but you can drag it into the screen's work area to create a free floating toolbar that looks like this:

To drag the standard toolbar from its docked position into the screen's work area, click the small handle on the left side of the toolbar and while holding the mouse button down, drag the toolbar wherever you want on the screen.

You can drag it to either side of the screen, the top, or the bottom and it will dock. If you double click in the blue title area the toolbar will dock itself at the top of the screen.

You can also right click the mouse button while the cursor is over the toolbar to display options for docking the toolbar.

To resize the tool bar move the pointer arrow to a side or corner of the toolbar. It will become a double-headed arrow as shown below.

Hold the mouse button down and move the mouse to drag the edge or side of the toolbar until it is the desired shape.

Missing a Toolbar?

If for some reason the toolbar does not appear in the application window, click on the File menu at the top left of the screen and select the View Toolbars option. Check the toolbar you want, click the Apply button, and then click the OK button. The selected toolbars will reappear on the screen.

Creating A New Company Record

Press the New button on the Standard toolbar to add a new record to the 'Company Profile' screen.

A new record appears on the Company Profile form with a Company tab titled (New Company) at the top of the form.

Note that you will not be able to create another record if a blank record is already available.

The title for the company in the Company textbox is also 'New Company'.

Click in the Company text box and '(New Company)' is selected.

Enter the name of a company.

Continue entering information for the company.

For a detailed description of each item on the 'Company Profile' form, go to the User's Guide area of this Help file and view the 'Company Profile' option.

Pop-up Calendars

There are several pop-up calendars on this form as well as other forms that you should become familiar with.

Press the calendar buttons for 'Incorporation Date' or 'End of Fiscal Year' to see a calendar pop-up.

Use the navigation buttons to move from month to month, as shown below, or just enter the date in the text box and press Enter to record the date.

When a date is clicked on, the date in the text box changes and the calendar disappears.

Links to Company Resources

In the lower left portion of the screen a variety of identification numbers are listed. These include licenses, SIC code, and credit bureaus. An underlined title indicates that it is a hyperlink to a web site that can be accessed by clicking on the title. (It is important for companies to develop credit as a separate entity thus links to credit bureaus are provided.)

Saving Data

You can ensure that data is saved on the Company Profile form by pressing the Save button on the Standard toolbar at any time in the data entry process. (When the Save button is enabled, it indicates that there is unsaved data.) Data is automatically saved when moving from one form to another or when closing a form.

Reverting Data

As long as the Save button has not been pressed you can remove all of the company data that you've entered since the data was last saved by pressing the Revert button.

It is important to note that the Save and Revert buttons save and revert all unsaved data. That is, pressing the Revert button will revert to the last saved state so all data entered since the last save will be removed from memory and cannot be retrieved. Thus it's a good idea to get into the habit of pressing the Save button after entering data you want to be sure is saved.

Deleting Data

To delete a company after it has been saved select the company name from the company tabs so its data appears on the form then press the Delete button on the standard toolbar.

Note: This will also delete all links to the company in the database, so any associations with people on the personnel form such as officers, etc. will be removed, but each individual's personal data will not be removed. It will also remove the company's Director and Shareholder Meetings, all related Stock Transactions, and any Saved Documents related to the deleted company.

Continue Entering Companies

If you have more companies to enter, press the New button and enter information repeating the process for each new company. New company tabs will appear at the top of the form with the name of each new company.

Company Tab Arrows

When there are more tabs than can fit at the top of the form, arrow buttons appear on the right side of the tabs.

When one of the arrows is clicked the tabs will move across the form displaying hidden company names while hiding other tabs.

Pressing the arrow buttons does not select a company. It only displays hidden tabs. You must click the company name tab to select it and view the information for the selected company.

Locating Personnel Records

To move through company records you can select companies from the company tabs at the top of the form or use the navigation buttons on the standard toolbar.

You can also use the List or Find buttons on the Standard toolbar to locate company records.

Backup Data

To ensure that data is not lost it's a good idea to back up your data files to a location other than the current application folder. This can be done by selecting the 'Back-up Data Files.' option under File on the main menu. One of the forms must be on the screen for the backup option to be available. Backup files can be saved to any location the computer has access to including other computers on a network.

Import Data

To import backup files select the 'Import Data Files.' option under File on the main menu. You are given the opportunity to save current data before importing a backup file which is necessary if you want to retain the data that is currently displayed on the screen. If you do not backup the data it will be lost when importing a backup file.

Close The Company Profile Form:

Press the close box (the red box with the X) at the top right of the form.

The Company Profile form closes.

Quitting The Application:

To quit and exit the application, select the File menu at the top of the screen and select the Exit option.